Engage

Always a Learner

I visited many sessions while at the National Conference in Houston. The main message that ran throughout is that we have to engage our students in high quality learning experiences, we have to engage our teachers in high quality professional development, we have to engage our parents through high quality relationships, we have to engage our community in high quality conversations about the needs of our schools and we have to engage our policy makers with high quality discourse on the issues we face in education. 

There are so many educators and leaders engaging every day to support the success of all our young people. I urge you to engage in some way to the work of a equal and quality education for all students. Engaging now will allow them to engage with a successful and joyful future. 

#engageinchange

Report Cards

Report cards will be coming home with your child tomorrow. ( January 29th)

New Car Rider Procedures to Start Tuesday, Feb 2nd

New Car Rider Procedures

 

We are implementing new car rider procedures. We appreciate the feedback from parents and the morning car rider parents (who are rock stars). In order to make dismissal safer and more efficient we will be starting a car rider line.

Procedures Starting Tuesday, February 2^nd.

Car Rider students will go to the gym and sit by grade level.

Cars will pull up through the parking lot and load in the designated loading zone indicated by the cones. Hanawalt staff will be loading students in your car. We will load 5 cars at a time by calling students names, loading those 5 cars and exiting those cars. Then continue pulling up 5 cars at a time. A staff member will be asking your student’s name and grade level then calling them  with the microphone to line up to load.  We will have plenty of staff helping direct you and load students in the first few days.

If you are going to park to pick up your child you will no longer be able to park in front of the school or the school parking lot, as this is part of the car rider line. You may park further down on Robertson Drive and walk up.

All walkers and parent pick-up students will be in the front of the school. If you are walking to pick up your child you may pick them up there. There will also be staff supervision there.

You will be getting a letter home from the school on Thursday. There will be a place for you to indicate your child’s regular dismissal procedure: car rider, parent pick up or walker. Of course you can always change this with a note to your teacher.

Thank you for your continued support to make our school a safe and joyful place to learn.

 

 

Dates of Interest Updated

These are some of the happenings we have on the calendar right now. I will update posts monthly to keep you informed. 

February

17-18 & 24 Spring Conferences
17- 4th Grade Art Field Trip
19- 2nd & 3rd Grade Dental Screening
25- 3rd Grade Opera Iowa Field Trip
26- Movie Night, Book Fair & Auction

March

March Madness About Reading

8- PTA  Meeting 6:00-7:30

8- 4th & 5th Grade Science Fair
11-18 Spring Break

23- Spring Pictures

29- 5th grade Field Trip to Symphony
 Iowa Assessments

28- 5th grade Reading

29- 3rd & 5th grade Reading

30- 3rd, 4th , 5th Math

31- 3rd, 4th, 5th Science & Social Studies

April

8- Day in The Arts 

12 PTA 6:00-7:30

12- Kindergarten Open House 6:00-7:00
18-22 PTA Fundraiser-Spelling Callenge

Communication is Key

The education of your child is one of the most important events of their life. It is important that home, school and community work together to offer the highest quality education possible. It is our goal to be sure that every door is open to our students in the future and that they will have the knowledge and habits of mind to be successful no matter what door they choose to walk through.


We are listening. There has been much discussion on how best to communicate what is going on around Hanawalt with our community. In an effort to streamline communication we are trying to use our website as the main avenue for communication. Here are ways we are going to work to better communicate and as a result strengthen the partnership between home and school.

1. The Squawk blog is one way that I can share ideas, information and events with parents.  The goal is to post on a variety of topics to keep parents and the community involved.

2. Another way to communicate is through our Hanawalt Website. The website will have links to this blog, curriculum information, ways to help your child at home and PTA information. It is our hope to continue to grow our use of the website as an avenue of communication about our school and your child's classroom. Check out Ms Killins' site for information on the 4th grade literacy classroom. She has posted standards, links and helpful information.

3. You can also follow us on Twitter @hanawalthawks. We have several teachers active on Twitter and you can get a glimpse into our day by following. Never used Twitter? Stop by and I will be glad to get you started.

4. We will also continue to send information out by email blast and paper notification when needed.

Please be flexible and patient as we work towards increased communication. We value the partnership with our families and community. I feel very fortunate to be at Hanawalt and look forward to continue to grow the strong partnership between home and school. Most of all I am looking forward to growing leadership and 21st Century skills in our students. I know together we can give them the skills that will ensure a bright future.

Kelly L. Schofield